A jury found the 35-year-old guilty on Monday of assaulting the woman, prosecutors said.

They said the incident occurred on Dec. 18, 2010 at the Massage Envy franchise on Carmia Drive in Atlanta.

The 21-year-old victim, who was receiving a massage for the first time, had received it as a birthday gift from a friend, the district attorney’s spokeswoman Ms. Yvette Jones said.

“Once inside the private room, Defendant Stringfellow, who was assigned as the woman’s massage therapist, proceeded to massage the victim and shortly afterwards began to touch her inappropriately,” Ms. Jones said.

“Stringfellow first fondled the victim and then forcibly performed various sexual acts upon the young victim even after she repeatedly told him to “‘stop,’” Ms. Jones said.

The woman left and later called police from a local hospital where she was being examined, the spokeswoman said. The therapist was later arrested, she said.

After serving his prison term, Mr. Stringfellow will spend the rest of his life on probation and must register as a sex offender, Ms. Jones said.

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Former police reporter for The State newspaper, Kimathi T. Lewis left her mark in print with stories that evoked community support and a column that helped capture dozens of fugitives. This award-winning reporter with a B.A. in Journalism can be reached at naturekleen@msn.com.